Monday, 30 September 2013

Breakfast is considered to be the most important meal of the day and considering the food scene in Bangalore, there is a world of option available for us foodies. In Bangalore, it can be a simple South-Indian affair or an extravagant affair involving global offerings. Depending on the cuisine and preferences, it can be eaten on either the street side, the neighborhood garage, or the restaurants housed in the numerous star hotels and everything in between.

But how
about having breakfast at a pub? I stand corrected; at a Gastro-Pub?

Yes and
this is exactly what my wife and I did. We kick started our weekend with ‘Breakfirst
@ Monkey Bar’; known to be India’s first Gastro-Pub.

Well, what
is a Gastro-Pub? It is a space that has the essence of a pub, but is backed by
excellent food and service at accessible prices.

Menu

Monkey
bar, on weekends only runs a special a-la carte breakfast menu starting 9 AM to
Noon. The listing includes delicacies spanning across cuisines from the western
hemisphere to the eastern hemisphere; but with a twist. The breakfirst menu
introduced earlier this year, now has some new dishes introduced as a part of
the Breakfirst menu offering gourmet options for vegetarians, eggitarians and
non-vegetarians. Here is a glimpse of the ‘Breakfirst @ Monkey Bar’ menu.

The menu
not only caters to the eggitarians (The eggs came first), the health conscious,
or the ones with a serious appetite (The Big Bang) but also to those who
believe only a ‘breakfirst’ cocktail can cure a hangover (Well, that’s a just a
reason to drink). Yes, Monkey Bar serves signature breakfast cocktail 10:00 AM
onwards.

What we ate:

Our
breakfirst was really king sized with a lot of dishes making a visit on our
table. It started with the 'Mutton Keema Bao', 'Eggs Benedictine' and 'Eggs
Florentine' arriving first.

Bao is a
Chinese steamed bun stuffed with either meat or veggies. It is something I ate
first during my travel to US a few years ago and since have longed for a good
one in Bangalore. I’d assume the picture speaks for itself; the bao was stuffed
well with a spicy mutton filling and enjoyed best when eating steaming hot with
the accompanying peanut- chilli sauce and the hot mutton broth served in a shot
glass.

On
request, our portion was split between an Egg Benedictine and an Egg
Florentine. Benedictine, listed on the menu since start contains ham between
the poached egg and the English muffin while the new addition ‘Florentine’
replaced the ham with creamy spinach. You may have noticed that my preference
usually inclines towards the non-vegetarian option but Florentine was a winner this
time. What worked was the marriage of the texture and flavor of the creamy
spinach, the poached egg and Hollandaise sauce.

Soon to
follow was a portion of ‘Eggs in a Blanket’ and ‘Toast to France’. ‘Eggs in a
blanket’ was a fabulous preparation of egg stuffed between a flaky and light
paratha served with mutton keema. I kept asking myself, “Could Breakfast get
any better?”

Mention 'Toast to France' and I will always be reminded of the ‘French Toast’ that is served at Monkey Bar. It is a
sweet and heavenly preparation of Jewish Challah soaked with numerous
ingredients like egg, orange zest, cinnamon, milk and more. This was served
along with maple syrup which takes the toast to another high.

Photo Credit: Kunal Chandra

By this
time, we were stuffed but were not willing to give up without trying the newly
introduced ‘Cinnamon & Toffee Pancakes’. This came as a stack of 3 fluffy cinnamon
pancakes topped with sweet toffee and vanilla pastry cream. Of course, there
was maple syrup too. Again, this was delicious and easily the best pan cakes I
have eaten here in Bangalore. All thanks to its goodness, we managed to get
through half the stack.

Photo Credit: Kunal Chandra

How can I
miss to mention, all the food we ate was in the company of their ‘Monkey
recommends’ – ‘Red Riding Wood’ – vodka based cocktail and a healthy smoothie
‘Green Goddess’. ‘Red Riding Wood’ was served in a mini vodka bottle with the
plum and apple pulp floating in it. This drink exudes lovely flavors of fresh
plum and apple juice. ‘Green Goddess’ failed to make its mark due to the over
powering flavor of Banana. We wished the flavors of banana, peach, orange; kiwi
and cucumber were well balanced.

Verdict:

Ohhh, what
a wonderful way to kick start our weekend!!!

Monkey Bar
with ease makes you believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the
day and they take no time to do so. We loved every single dish that came on our
table. As we drove back home after the hearty breakfast, we spoke about what we
liked the most. For my wife it was ‘Eggs Florentine’ and the ‘Cinnamon &
Toffee Pancakes’ and for me it was ‘Egg in a blanket’ and ‘has to be ‘Toast to
France’. Bao – something I love; was good too but missed being at the top only
for the lack of sweetness in the steamed bun which makes a lovely contrast to
the spicy mutton keema filling.

The
ambiance was welcoming and warm. Interiors are rustic and wood finished yet
well balanced. Monkey bar does receive a pleasant amount of natural light
through it windows which is a plus for me when I’m going for breakfast. The
music was on with the sound levels maintained well for a morning visit. It was
quite a contrast to how you will find Monkey Bar post evenings. The basement
has a pool table and a foosball table.

What will
be an average spend for a ‘Breakfirst @ Monkey Bar’ without alcohol and taxes? And
What about parking?

Parking is
the owner’s responsibility and can be done on the roadside. The breakfast at
Monkey Bar averages about Rs. 1200 for two. Post this visit; I’d rate this sit
down breakfast way over the extravagant but standard breakfast fare at numerous
star hotels. Well, at least I do not want to walk around with my plate across a
large buffet hall when I can have lovely delicious food brought right to my
table.

Quick Tips:

‘Breakfirst
@ Monkey Bar’ rocks! It was not just a meal but the whole experience that we
loved. Where else do you get to sit in a NYC style diner and enjoy a gourmet
breakfast in Bangalore?

Signing
off with a collage of some general info on ‘Breakfirst @ Monkey Bar’

Tuesday, 17 September 2013

If you are
living in Bangalore, Mumbai or New Delhi, you ought to know this, “Citibank Restaurant Week India is
back”. This bi-annual 10 day celebration offers you a chance to savor some of
the finest culinary delights in your very own city. The culinary fiesta
commences on 23rd September and is on till the 2nd of October,
2013. The reservations for the same open at 12:00 AM on 18th
September and can only be done online.

During
this period, over 24 restaurants (both specialized restaurants from the star
hotel chains and the finest of the stand alone) in Bangalore alone craft a
special 3 course prix – fixe menu to showcase their signature creations. This
special menu across participating restaurants in Bangalore is priced at Rs. 750
++ for both lunch and dinner.

As a
prelude to this, an invitation came my way for a special preview dinner at ‘Dum
Pukht Jolly Nabobs’. This Lucknowi restaurant housed inside Windsor Manor
offers a truly regal ambiance. In no time, it felt as if we were transported
into the world of the Nawabs of Lucknow.

Menu

We were
presented with 2 menu options each; vegetarian for my wife and non-vegetarian
for me. What we loved about the menu was; each option listed a prix – fixe 3
course meals which included a signature appetizer, a series of mains,
accompanying Indian breads, biryani and desserts. It can’t be that I don’t
write and share with you my experience but click here to take a
look at the online version of the special Restaurant Week India menu.

Yes!
Choose any of the 4 meals and you get everything listed under the chosen one.

What we ate:

Puja a vegetarian
and I a non-vegetarian, choose our respective meals and the food courses kept
flowing for the rest of the evening. Of course, while the
food was being prepared the roasted papad with the spicy mint chutney and the
lovely sweet chutney made with papaya, raisin and Gudd provided some solace to
our hungry stomach.

Soon to
arrive was our first course, ‘Khus Khus Kebab’ from the vegetarian and ‘Murgh
Chandni Kebab’ from the non-vegetarian prix fixe menu. My wife absolutely loved
the ‘Khus Khus Kebab’ that were prepared with minced veggies, poppy seeds and
spice. It was fragrant, delicious and for sure a win for any vegetarian.

‘Murgh
Chandni Kebab’ – tikkas of chicken presented under a blanket of edible silver
sheet (silver warq) looked fabulous and succulent. The chicken was unimaginably
tender and moist; the secret being that it was first grilled on a tandoor and
then finished on dum. Flavor-wise, I found it a tad bit bland for my palate and
wished there was more flavoring coming from the cumin.

What
followed were the mains. It was an extravagant affair with each menu offering
at least 4 main course dishes accompanied with 2 types of Indian breads and a
vegetarian or a non-vegetarian biryani to follow.

A common
feature on the vegetarian and the non-vegetarian menu is ‘Subz Miloni’ and ‘Daal
Qureshi’. ‘Daal Qureshi’ was a lovely preparation of mainly daal and burnt
garlic as it two main ingredients and ‘Subz Miloni’ a medley of fresh garden
vegetables in rich and creamy spinach gravy.

'Subz Miloni' (Left; 'Daal Qureshi' (Right)

Another
common feature is the nice and flaky, ajwain flavored multi layered bread -
‘Warqi Paratha’ and another house special for the health conscious; ‘Naun-E-Bah
Khummach’ – baked on a tandoor, made with leavened semolina bread sprinkled
with poppy seeds and aniseeds. Between the breads both of us tend to favor the
super flaky and crisp ‘Warqi Paratha’ over the healthy ‘Naun-E-Bah Khummach.

In the
non-vegetarian meal, there is a portion of ‘Mahi Dum Anari’, ‘Pomegranate Chaap’.
‘Mahi’ (Fish) was cooked in a pomegranate sauce and fish stock. The preparation
ensured that it did not overpower the flavor of the fish which was really fresh.
‘Chaap’ (mutton chops) was nice and tender; cooked in a pomegranate sauce which
was quite different in taste when compared to the sauce used in the fish
preparation. It was cooked in a mutton broth and sufficiently spiced to tone
down the sweetness from the pomegranate sauce.

Mahi Dum Anari

Mutton Chaap

The
vegetarians are not left out too. Their menu includes ‘Dum ki Khumb’ an
aromatic gravy with a generous inclusion of button mushrooms and
‘Guncha-O-Keema’; a semi dry preparation of cauliflower, capsicum and tomato in
a kastoori methi based gravy.

Dum Ki Khumb

When it
comes to Lucknowi cuisine, there can be no better end that being served a lamb
biryani which is aptly called ‘Dum Pukht Biryani’. The biryani cooked on dum
came in a vessel sealed with dough to all it too cook on dum. Once the seal was
open and the lid taken off, the aroma was unimaginable. I could no longer wait
to dig into it. The basmati rice cooked in the mutton stock was bang on in
flavor, the lamb meat was easily the juiciest and tender most meat I have ever
eaten. The biryani served was perfect to be eaten as is without any
accompaniment. The burrani raita served along could not succeed in changing my
stance. If it is the lamb biryani for the non-vegetarians, the vegetarians are
served a ‘Subz Biryani.

Dum Pukht Biryani - Sealed with Dough

Lamb Biryani - On My Plate

We were
stuffed to our throats and had no appetite for any more food. The Staff
literarily convinced us to not give it a miss. We are glad we didn’t. We were
served ‘365’; rich caramel custard and the classic ‘Shahi Tukra’ for which we
requested for the sweet bread and the rabdi to be served separately. Both were
really nice and made for a good end to a lovely meal.

365

Shahi Tukda

Verdict:

The service
was flawless. On the food front, they definitely score full marks on making you
feels totally pampered. My wife and I had a great evening. We enjoyed every aspect
of the evening; be it the plush and rich ambiance, the fabulous service, the
wine and the unforgettable food. Unforgettable for two reasons – (1) every dish
exudes richness, freshness and use of the finest quality of the ingredients and
(2) wide array of dishes and really large portions got us really tired of
eating; indeed a rare situation.

This menu
specially designed for the 10 day Restaurant Week comes wonderfully priced at
just Rs. 750 plus taxes and charges. It’s a steal! Go for it

Quick Tips:

What I
love about this festival is that, the finest of the restaurants serve the
finest of their food at the most affordable prices.

The online
reservation opens on 18th September at 12:00 AM for the Citibank Restaurant
Week India that runs through Monday, 23rd September to Wednesday, 02nd
October 2013.

It was a
lovely meal at Dum Pukht Jolly Nabobs and I look forward to visiting a few more
restaurants during this festival. A visit is highly recommended. Here’s a link
to make an online
reservation.

We usually
are at least 8 of us and an extensive menu of food and drinks always excites
us. Smoke House Deli has one such Menu - An extensive listing of both food and
beverages.

The food menu includes varied cuisines primarily European and Continental
while the beverages menu is very impressive too. It holds a range of very
interesting cocktails like smoked pineapple mojito, smoked melon martini etc. They
also have an additional placard style menu for the appetizers. Both vegetarians
and non-vegetarians are well thought out for by Smoke House Deli and this can
be said from their menu listing.

What we ate:

It was a
lovely Sunday we spent over a couple of drinks, loads of fabulous food, fun and
conversations. Being a good number of us on the table, I think we covered every
section of their menu, well if not everything, it has to be pretty much
everything. Let’s go over a pictorial review of what we ate at Smoke House Deli
and what we think about it:

The Customary Start: Assorted Bread Basket

Breakfast Section: Yes, they have a section on their menu listing
breakfast dishes like cereals, pancakes, scrambled eggs, range of omelet,
French toasts etc. The good news, all of this is available all day long.

Masala Omelette

Appetizers - These are listed on a placard placed on every table. Our
pick included:

Chicken Fritters: Dry and chewy meat; Can be avoided

Three Cheese and Jalepeno Toast - Gooey cheese and crunch bread. A good pick

The Cottage Cheese and Chicken skewers were delicious with chicken being juicy and tender and the cottage cheese - melt in mouth.

Spiked Cottage Cheese Skewers

Coriander Chicken Skewers

I am not very fond of mushrooms, but the mushroom lovers on my table liked the Mushroom crostini.

Mushroom Crostini

Moving on from appetizers, we decided to go with 2 Italian dishes,
1 burger and 2 Smoke House Deli signature mains. In Italian, for us it was the Ravioli that stole the show.

Spinach & Ricotta Cheese Ravioli

Do not recollect the name of this dish

The cottage cheese steak was nice and crunch on the outside with well seasoned and minced cottage cheese on the inside. Ratatouille provided a nice blend of flavors and texture to this dish.

Cottage Cheese Steak with Ratatouille

The Lamb burger was delicious and was all eaten up without ever being placed back on the plate.

Fish 'N' Chips - another SHD special was fabulous. The fish was flaky and moist; perfectly cooked with encased in a really light and crispy fried batter coating.

Desserts – We were over stuffed with a lot of food and drinks but
were in no mood to settle without desserts. We thought we could do with 4
desserts to share but the decadent looks got us calling for 5. The best we liked was the White Chocolate and Orange 'Creme Brulee' closely followed by the 'Hazelnut Mousse Flan'. The 'Raspberry and Oreo Cheese Cake' was nothing exceptional. Oreo only constituted to the crumble base. To our surprise, the 'Molten Chocolate Cake' was a total disappointment. The melting chocolate or the cake lacked any trace of flavor and sweetness.

Hazelnut Mousse Flan

The super delicious White Chocolate & Orange 'Creme Brulee'

Raspberry and Oreo Cheese Cake

Roasted Almond Ganache Torte

Molten Chocolate Cake

Verdict:

It was an
afternoon that left each of our stomach and heart very well satiated. The food
was fabulous; most of the dishes hit the good notes be it the appetizers, the
burger, Italian or continental. Desserts provided for a perfect end to a
fantastic meal. The only disappointment being the molten chocolate cake.

The
cocktails were a disappointment with Bellini being an exception. The smoked
drinks like the melon Martini lacked any smoked flavor; the smoked pineapple
mojito was not very refreshing and also lacked any flavor of pineapple.

The
ambiance was really captivating. We got to sit by the lovely glass facade that
provided for natural light. The interiors are done up in all white adding to
the brightness. The service started off on a weak note but caught up really
well for the rest of our visit. The staff seemed well informed about their menu.
They were quick to suggest when asked for an opinion. Everything we ordered was
served well in reasonable time. The food and desserts were well plated too. The
portions are well sized and more than sufficient to feed a very hungry person.

A worry on
a busy 100 FT road has to be Parking space. You need not work, Smoke House Deli provides for
Valet service.

Two diners
can have a good and relaxed meal at an average cost of Rs. 1500 (without
alcohol) plus taxes.

Quick Tips:

To me, Smoke
House Deli definitely qualifies to be one of the restaurants I’d love to visit
again and again. I’ve already been here 2 weekends back to back and look forward
to visiting them soon.

The menu
is extensive but from what I've eaten so far, here are my recommendations for
when you are at Smoke House Deli –